Tag Archives: cancer indicators

Thyroid Cancer Most Likely Occurs in Middle Aged Women, But Can Affect Anyone at Any Age

Here at Issels®, we treat many types of cancer with immunotherapy, including thyroid cancer. Thyroid cancer diagnoses have risen over the last 30 years and it is now the 8th most common cancer in the United States.

Role of the Thyroid

The thyroid gland is found in the front of the throat area and is very important. Its multiple tasks include producing several hormones, which work to control the heart rate and regulate body temperature. The thyroid also aids in controlling the amount of calcium in the bloodstream and regulating metabolism.

Risk Factors

Cancer of the thyroid is most commonly found in middle-aged white females, but it also occurs in both men and women of all ages. It is a slow-growing cancer and is markedly treatable. People with exposure to radiation also have an increased risk of developing thyroid cancer.

Symptoms

A hoarse voice, neck pain and lymph nodes that are enlarged are some of the early signs of thyroid cancer. Thyroid nodules are not common in children or teens but become more prevalent as people get older.

Types

While the papillary and mixed papillary/follicular thyroid cancer is the most prevalent type, there are three other types, including follicular/Hurtle cell, medullary and anaplastic. The most common types are the most curable, with a cure rate of over 97%.

At Issels®, we can help you find the right combination of thyroid cancer immunotherapy treatment that will help you flourish. Contact us to learn more about our immunotherapy cancer treatment breakthrough.

It’s important to understand the difference between common moles that often occur on the skin and melanomas. To the untrained eye, the two can look very similar, and they can result in people either worrying unnecessarily about the condition of their skin or overlooking skin irregularities that require immediate medical attention.

At Issels®, we’ve worked with many people who have been diagnosed with melanoma, and immunotherapy has been shown to be a very promising alternative to traditional cancer treatments. Even so, identification remains a serious challenge, and the National Cancer Institute has come up with a tool to help.

The Moles to Melanoma Tool

The Moles to Melanoma tool from the National Cancer Institute provides individuals with pictures that help to understand the three types of moles that can appear on the human body. They are:

Common Moles

Dysplastic Nevi (or DN)

Melanoma

Common moles are those that are non-cancerous, and their characteristics are not a cause for concern. Dysplastic Nevi moles are those that aren’t cancerous, but that possess qualities that would cause doctors to keep an eye on them for any changes that could indicate melanoma. Finally, melanoma is characterized by moles that fit into the ABCDE category of identification.

Are You Concerned About Melanoma?

If your family has a history of melanoma, or if you have moles that cause you to be concerned, this tool can be very useful for you. However, it’s important to remember that no diagnostic tool should ever take the place of a professional diagnosis from an experienced physician.

Do you sometimes wake up in the middle of the night to warm skin and damp sheets? Night sweats and hot flashes are a common occurrence with cancer patients. It can result from your course of treatment or from the tumor itself. Women tend to be more susceptible, but men can also experience either condition.

Sweat is your body’s natural way of regulating temperature. When the moisture evaporates on your skin it creates a cooling effect. Patients being treated for breast cancer or prostate cancer often have hot flashes because treatment can trigger menopause or menopause-like symptoms.

Help is available to control hot flashes and night sweats, allowing you to rest more comfortably. Discuss these options with your physician to determine which one is most appropriate for you.

In some cases hot flashes may be treated with hormone replacement therapy. Some patients have had success with certain antidepressants or anticonvulsants.

Stress and anxiety are contributing factors, so learning coping skills to deal with these emotions can help moderate night sweats and hot flashes. Meditation is a powerful method, and hypnosis is a newer treatment that has shown positive results.

Wear loose-fitting clothes made from natural fibers and keep your home well-ventilated.

Manufacturers of herbs and supplements such as Vitamin E and flaxseed make extravagant claims, but studies show that the results are mixed at best. Do not attempt this treatment without consulting your healthcare provider.

At Issels® we utilize a course of immunotherapy that strengthens your own immune system and reduces side effects. Visit our website to see and hear success stories from our patients.

Change is difficult. Even change for the better can be unsettling and spark feelings of anxiety. But we must change to our adapting situations or we will lose control of our lives and our future. It is important to understand that as you begin moving beyond cancer treatment. This is why Issels® Integrative Immuno-Oncology uses individualized immunotherapy treatment protocols. How you respond to treatment and transition to a new normal depends largely on your diagnosis and predisposition.

The National Cancer Institute has a very helpful 36 page booklet to help anyone adjust to the effects of cancer treatment and the changes in lifestyle. It also has some very helpful information for caregivers who will need to prepare themselves for how their level of involvement will change.

Those TV shows that always solve the mystery by the episode conclusion and wrap up all loose ends are written that way for a reason. People want things to have a predictable and logical outcome. But as cancer survivor, you will not be able to resume your previous level of activity right away. Do not try to make up for lost time or take on too much. Keep the following tips in mind:

Be open and honest about your feelings and capabilities

Be realistic with the goals your set for yourself

Talk to your doctor about feelings of anxiety or depression

Schedule time for yourself to appreciate the life you have

Find ways that friends and family can help you and let them know they are appreciated

Contact Issels® for more information on your treatment options and how we help patients get the most out of life.

Going bald is a fact of life for some men. There are many who dread looking in the mirror in the morning to find that they’ve lost more hair, while others embrace their hair loss by shaving their heads at the first sign of thinning. The truth is that being bald isn’t as big a deal as it was even just a few years go. Although a new study indicates that middle-aged balding might be an indicator for prostate cancer.

The study observed men who were approaching the age of forty-five and came to the conclusion that if they were going bald, they had about a thirty-nine percent increased risk for cancer than men who had all of their hair at that age. It was speculated that this could be because a dip in testosterone resulted in prostate cancer.

However, are these findings accurate enough to cause men to be concerned if they exhibit male pattern baldness?

Physicians say it’s highly unlikely. The study lacks the information that’s needed to support its findings. The best plan of action for any man who is approaching middle age is to visit the doctor on a regular basis and get screened for prostate cancer. Even though baldness might end up being a factor in a cancer diagnosis, the fact is that most cancer patients got the disease because of their genetics or because of a lifestyle choice.

Your family history is a strong indicator of whether or not you’re at risk for developing any type of cancer. If you are diagnosed with prostate cancer or any type of cancer, here at Issels®, we understand cancer treatments and patients in a way that’s different from other cancer centers. We’ve successfully been treating patients for sixty years, and we can help you too. Contact us.

One in eight American women will be diagnosed with breast cancer during her lifetime. Despite its prevalence, the chances of surviving breast cancer have improved dramatically over the past decade. But old myths still abound. Get the facts below:

Not Just for Women

Myth: Only women get breast cancer.

Fact: While breast cancer strikes women far more frequently than men, more than 2,000 men are diagnosed with breast cancer each year. By comparison, more than 200,000 women are diagnosed with breast cancer annually, about one every two minutes.

Myth: Breast cancer only strikes older women.

Fact: While it is true that breast cancer risk increases with age, breast cancer can strike women of any age. The median age for breast cancer diagnosis in the U.S. is 61 for white women and 57 for black women; but with average life expectancies in the mid-80s, cancer survivors can expect to enjoy many years of active life.

Better Survival Rates

Myth: Breast cancer is the No. 1 cause of cancer death among American women.

Fact: Lung cancer claims the lives of more U.S. women annually than breast cancer, but breast cancer is the top cancer killer of women between the ages of 40 and 59. Breast cancer kills more than 40,000 American women each year.

Myth: Few women survive breast cancer.

Fact: Your chances of surviving breast cancer have never been better. Early detection and improvements in breast cancer treatment have pushed breast cancer fatality rates down 34% since 1990. When detected early, the five-year survival rate has soared to 98%. More than 2.9 million breast cancer survivors are living and thriving in America today.